Wire-ropeway grip



(No Model.)

I 1); A.- BYERS.

WIRE ROPBWAY GRIP.

Patented Nov. 14, 189.3. f

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID A. BYERS, OF KING, INDIANA.

WIRE-R OP EWAY GRIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,810, dated November 14, 1893.

' Application filed February 13, 1893. Serial No. 462,219. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, DAVID A. BYERS,2L citizen of the United States of America, residing at King, county of Gibson, Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Ropeway Grips; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters'and figures of reference mark-ed thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grips for wire rope tramways of the class having onestationary rope in suspension, and a movable rope called a hauling or traction rope to which the bucket is made fast through the medium of suitable grip mechanism.

My improved grip is located between the hail of the bucket and a pendent arm carrying a pulley at its upper extremity which engages the stationary rope. The pendent arm and bucket bail are both connected with the casing or housing carrying the grip which consists of a two part clamp, the upper part of which is controlled by a toggle joint while the lower part is acted on by a movable triangular cam located between the clamp and a bracket to which the bucket bail is rigidly secured, said bracket carrying integral journals or trunnions which the grip housing is apertured to receive.

The object of my improvement is to provide a device of the class stated which while being simple in construction and economical in cost shall also bereliable, durable and thoroughly practicable in use.

To this end my improved gripping mechanism consists of the features, arrangements and combinations hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

' nal section on line 00-00, Fig. 1.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a front elevation of the gripping mechanism, the face plates of the housing being removed to show the mechanism within. Fig. 2 is alongitudi- Fig. 3 shows the grip in place between the .pendentarrn of the carriage and the hail of the bucket.

Similar reference characters indicating corresponding parts or elements of the mechan ism in the several views let the numeral 5 designate the stationary rope, 6 the traction or hauling rope, 7 the pendent arm carrying the pulley 8 engaging the rope 5. Arm 7 is secured to the grip housing 10 as shown at 9, while the bail 12 of bucket 13 is riveted to the bracket 14 as shown at 15. Thehousing or casing 10 is composed of the ends 10 ,10, the side plate 10 and the opposite removable side plates 10 and 10 The side plate 10 is preferably formed integral with the endsof the housing, while the removable plates are secured to the ends by means'of bolts entering apertures 1O formed in the casing and coinciding apertures formed in said plates. Within this housing 10 is located the gripping mechanism composed of the two part clamp 16, 17, the toggle joint 18 and the triangular cam 19.

The clamp parts are grooved to engage the rope 6 and have a free vertical movement in the housing. The upper part 16 of the clamp is pivoted to one part 18 of the toggle joint by means of a pin 20 which passes through apertures formed in the arm 18 and the fork 16 of the clamping part. The other arm 18 of the toggle joint is made fast to a short shaft 21 journaled in the housing, the other extremity of the arm being forked to receive one extremity of the other partof the toggle joint to which it is connected by a pivot 22. Shaft 21 projects outside of the housing and is provided with a crank 23 employed in operating the toggle or in tightening and releasing the part 16 of the gripping clamp. The lower part 17 of the clamp is recessed to receive the upper rounded extremity 19 of the triangular cam 19, while the lower part of the cam is provided with a shallow recess for the reception of the counter-part rounded or convex portion of the bracket 14 which is recessed on each side of the rounded part to receive the other two projections 19 of the cam. The bracket is journaled in the casing on the trunnions 14 which enter suitable apertures for the purpose.

The grip is applied by turning crank-23 so that the toggle joint shall occupy the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1, whereby the part 16 of the clamp is forced downward to its lowest limit of movement and made to grasp the rope 6. The weight of the crank has a tendency to maintain the joint in this position from one side, while the screw 25 located in the opposite side of the casing is employed to prevent the parts of the joint from moving too far in the opposite direction. The ropes of this class of tramways nearly always cupy an inclined position. and the greater the inclination of the ropes the greater the necessity for a secure grip. To meet this requirement I have introduced an automatic feature into the grip mechanism consisting of a triangular cam engaging the lower part 17 of the clamp above and the bracket 14 below. It will be observed that when the rope 6 occupies an inclined position the housing 10 must stand in a position at right angles thereto while the bucket supported on the bracket pivoted or journaled in the housing will stand plumb or assume a position perpendicular to the horizon. The position of the bracket 14: must cor-respond with that of the bucket. Hence the bracket will turn to one side or the other from the position shown in Fig. 1. If the carriage is moving up the incline the bracket will turn on its' trunnions in one direction and force the triangular cam 19 upward, while if the load is passing down the incline the bracket will turn in the opposite direction and move the cam upward, the part 17 of the clamp in either case being forced correspondingly upward, thus supplementing the gripping force of part 16, and the steeper the incline or the greater the grade, the greater the force with which the triangular cam acts on the part 17 of the clamp, since the greater Will be the movement of bracket 14.

The term carriage whenever employed in the specification and claims includes the entire mechanism supported on one rope and hauled by the other to which it is gripped.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a wire rope tramway grip, the combination of the housing or casing open on one side to receive the rope, the two-part clamp located therein and adapted to grasp the rope, and means for applying the grip consisting of a toggle joint having one arm pivoted to one part of the clamp,and the other madefast to a shaft journaled in the housing, and a bracket pivoted on the housing, and carrying the bucket, and a loose cam located between the bracket and the other part of the clamp, substantially as described.

. 2. In a wire rope tramway grip, the combination with the carriage and hauling rope, of automatic mechanism for gripping the one upon the other, said mechanism consisting of a movable clamp part provided with a suitable support, a bracket pivoted upon the support and carryingthe bucket and a loose cam located between the bracket and the movable clamp part, substantially as described.

3. In a wire rope tramway grip the combination of the housing or casing, the two-part clamp located therein and adapted to engage the rope and automatic means for applying the grip consisting of a bracket pivoted in the grip housing and carrying the bucket and a loose cam located between the bracket and one part of the clamp, whereby as the load hangs at an angle to the housing by reason of the inclination of the way, it forces the cam upward against the clamp part, substantially as described.

4. In a wire rope way grip the combination of the two part clamp, the housing inc-losing the'sa'me, the toggle joint connected with one part of the clamp and automatic mechanism adapted to act on the other part and consist.- ing of the pivoted bucket supporting bracket and the cam located between the clamp part and the bracket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID A. BYERS. 

